Abraham Perez remains unbeaten, retains WBA interim title in Albuquerque
Hammer nails hometown showcase improving to 16-0.
Abraham “Hammer” Perez remains unbeaten after a successful title defense in the main event of Big Time Boxing on November 7 at Albuquerque’s iconic Kiva Auditorium.
A night filled with high-stakes matchups featuring local, national, and international talent also attracted two noteworthy VIPs. Boxing legends Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Claressa “GWOAT” Shields watched the action from ringside.
In the main event, Perez went 12 rounds with former Olympian Yankiel Rivera of Puerto Rico, earning a convincing unanimous decision (118-109, 120-107, 119-109) to retain the WBA Interim Flyweight Championship.
Perez set the tone early, using his speed and technique to overwhelm Rivera. He dropped the Puerto Rican with a combination in the second round. Rivera regrouped and went on to give Perez a spirited challenge.
As the fight progressed, Perez continued to pile up points with accurate, effective punching. Rivera managed to land some shots of his own and opened a cut above Perez’s left eye, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
Perez thanked his fans during the post-fight interview and improved his record to 16-0. Rivera falls to 8-2-1.
Sanchez and Torres renew their rivalry
It took more than a decade, but two Duke City boxers, Jose Luis “Guero” Sanchez and Josh “Pit Bull” Torres, finally met for the second time in their careers, giving the local crowd an entertaining 10-round contest.
Sanchez earned a unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 99-91), using his speed and combinations to keep Torres from finding his rhythm. The victory also earned Sanchez the WBA Continental USA Welterweight Championship.
“He is a strong fighter—he can take a hit,” Sanchez said of Torres. “I knew I had to be well-conditioned and use my reach and speed.”
Torres acknowledged Sanchez’s performance while reflecting on what he could have done differently.
“It was a good fight—we gave the fans an exciting bout,” Torres said. “I just wasn’t letting my hands go enough. I was trying to walk him down tonight, but I couldn’t let it flow. He was the better man tonight.”
Torres defeated Sanchez in their first meeting, leaving the two fighters even at 1-1. With the rivalry now split, a third meeting could be an interesting possibility.
Other results
Main Card
- Heavyweight: Pryce “The Pryce Is Right” Taylor defeated Tsotne Rogava by split decision (96-94, 93-97, 96-94) in a 10-round bout.
- Light Heavyweight: Atif Oberlton defeated Deon Nicholson by split decision (94-96, 98-92, 98-92).
- Sardius Simmons defeated Cesar Navarro by unanimous decision (78-74, 77-75, 77-75) in an eight-round bout.
Preliminary Card
- IBF Mini-Flyweight Championship: Pedro Taduran defeated Brandon Moreno by unanimous decision (120-108, 115-113, 115-113).
- Super Middleweight: Tariq Green defeated Da’Velle Smith by first-round knockout at 1:19.
- Parminder Pannu of Canada defeated Peter Balderas Jr. by unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) in a four-round bout.
- Jose Nieves defeated Brian Santiago by unanimous decision (58-55, 58-55, 58-55) in a six-round bout.
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